Classics Retold

We arrived at an inn, before day, where the mail stopped.  It was not the inn of my previous journey, where my friend waiter lived.  This was a different one.  I was lead to a nice room, on the door of which was painted with the word DOLPHIN.  Downstairs, before a large  fire, they had given me a tea. Inspite of the tea I was cold.  I was very glad to turn into DOLPHIN's bed, pulled the blankets over my head and fell into sleep. Mr Barkis, the carrier was to call for me at nine o'clock.  So I got up at eight.  I was giddy because of short sleep, but ready for him at the appointed time.  He received me exactly as if not five minutes had elapsed since we were last together, while I had only been to the counter to get change for sixpence. I and my box in the cart, the carrier seated, and the lazy horse walked walked away. 'You look very well, Barkis,' I said, thinking he would like to know it. 'Mr Barkis rubbed his cheek with his cuff, and then ...

Next day.  My first day in the school.  The roar of voices in the school room changed to a hush as Mr Creakle entered, after breakfast, and stood in the doorway looking round upon us like a giant in a story book surveying his captives. Tungay stood at Mr Creakle's elbow.  He had no occasion to cry out 'silence!' so ferociously, for the boys all struck speechless and motionless.  Mr Creakle was seen to speak, and Tungay was seen to hear. 'Now, boys, this is a new half.  Take care what you are about, in the new half.  Come fresh upto lessons, I advise you, for I come fresh upto punishment.  I won't flinch.  It will be of no use you rubbing yourselves; you won't rub out the marks that I shall give you.  Now, get to work, every boy!' When this introduction was delivered, Tungay stumped out again, Mr Creakle came to where I sat, and told me that if I were famous for biting, he was famous for biting, too.  Then he showed me the cane, and asked...

 I had led this life about a month, when the man with wooden leg began to stump about whith a mop and a bucket of water, from which I inferred that preparations were making to receive Mr Creakle and his family.  I was not mistaken; the mop came into the classroom, Mr Mell and me were always in the way of two or three young women whom I saw rarely before.  Our room was always with dust, and I sneezed again and again that Salem House appeared a snuff box. One day I was informed by Mr Mell, that Mr Creakle would be home in the evening.  Before bed-time I was fetched by the man with wooden leg before Mr Creakle. Creakle's part of house was more comfortable, and he had a little pleasant garden.  It lay beyond the dusty desert-like play ground.  I went trembling, along the comfortable passage to the presence of Mr Creakle.  Mr Creakle was a stout gentleman, with a bunch of watch-chains and seals.  He was in an arm-chair, a tumbler and bottle beside him....

We might have gone about half a mile, and my pocket hand-kerchief was quite wet through, when the carrier stopped short.  Looking out to ascertain for what, I saw, to my amazement, Peggotty burst from a hedge and climb into the cart.  She took me in both of her arms and squeezed me to her stays until the pressure on my nose was extremely painful, though I never thought of that till afterwards when I found it very tender.  Not a single word did Peggotty speak.  Releasing one of her arms, she put it down in her pocket to the elbow, and brought out some paper bags of cakes which she crammed into my pockets, and a purse which she put into my hand, but not one word did she say.  After another and final squeeze with both arms; she got down from the cart and ran away, and, my belief is and has always been without a solitary button on her gown.  I picked up one, of several of that rolling about, and treasured it as a keepsake for a long time.  The carrier look...